A proud unapologetic Black trans woman speaking truth to power and discussing the world around her since 2006

Wednesday, June 01, 2016

Deric Muhammad, #WeExist

One of the things I get pissed off about in my Black community is activists, ignorant people and ministers spouting facts free anti-trans and anti-SGL rhetoric in our ranks that is a carbon copy of crap that white fundamentalists have been sputtering for decades from their megachurch pulpits and talk radio shows.

I was sent a link to a homophobic op ed authored by local activist Deric Muhammad published in the Houston Forward Times that attacks teen lesbians.

It's not only a slap in the face of the Houston Black LGBT community, this op-ed also has the problematic timing of being published as a Forward Times featured editorial on the first day of LGBT Pride Month..

Since Mr. Muhammad wrote in his article he wished to get a community conversation going, be careful what you wish for.

I've met Deric Muhammad at various Houston community events in the last two years, and one of the vibes I picked up from him when I heard him speak at city hall or during various community events is that he may have a problem with his Houston LGBT siblings. I had to call him out during a meeting held at KCOH a little over a year ago about some problematic comments that erased the Houston LGBT community during a community conversation about police brutality and the Jordan Baker case..

It's reprehensible that you have written an article that attacks lesbian teens and blames them for the problems of the Black community. Sadly, it is confirming what I suspected when I first encountered you at the Harris County Courthouse. I'll also point out that same gender loving attractions are not a 'choice'.. If you really believe that bull feces, then tell me the exact date that you chose to be a heterosexual Black male and chose to live a heterosexual lifestyle?

I'd also like to point out to you that one of the iconic leaders in our Black H-town community was a lesbian named Barbara Jordan. Our lesbian sisters have not only historically been on the front lines in helping uplift our community and fighting for our civil rights, they are continuing to provide innovative and principled leadership for our community as well.

Teen lesbianism isn't the cause of what ails the Black community as a whole. It's anti-Black policies pursued by politicians and a conservative movement that hates our people.

Our LGBT kids are already under attack from predominately white Religious Right and Republican politicians. The last people that need to be attacking them are people in our Black community.

This divisive BS of attacking kids in the name of 'starting a community conversation' is the last thing we need right now, and as a unapologetically proud Black trans Houstonian, it pisses me the hell off every time some person that shares my ethnic heritage decides to try to live up to the 'Black people are more homophobic' meme I have to constantly argue against in mixed human rights company.

#WeExist, Deric. If you claim you love all Black people in H-town, then by default that includes my unapologetic Black trans behind and your Black trans, bi and SGL siblings.

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About The TransGriot

Monica Roberts, AKA the TransGriot (Gree-oh) is a native Houstonian, GLAAD award nominated blogger, writer, and award winning trans human rights advocate. She's the founding editor of TransGriot, and her writing has appeared at the Bilerico Project, Ebony.com, The Huffington Post and the Advocate.
She works to foster understanding and acceptance of trans people inside and outside communities of color and was recently honored with the Virginia Prince Transgender Pioneer Award

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The TransGriot blog's mission is to become the griot of our community. I will introduce you to and talk about your African descended trans brothers and trans sisters across the Diaspora, reclaim and document our chocolate flavored trans history, speak truth to power, comment on the things that impact our trans community from an Afrocentric perspective and enlighten you about the general things that go on around me and in the communities that I am a member of.

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